Bombshell
Bombshell is a revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time; and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.
Working with a moderate budget of $32.0M, the film achieved a modest success with $61.4M in global revenue (+92% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Bombshell (2019) exhibits meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Jay Roach's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 49 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Megyn Kelly
Gretchen Carlson
Kayla Pospisil
Roger Ailes
Jess Carr
Douglas Brunt
Beth Ailes
Main Cast & Characters
Megyn Kelly
Played by Charlize Theron
Fox News anchor who confronts Roger Ailes about harassment and faces career consequences for standing up.
Gretchen Carlson
Played by Nicole Kidman
Former Fox & Friends host who files the lawsuit that catalyzes the downfall of Roger Ailes.
Kayla Pospisil
Played by Margot Robbie
Young, ambitious Fox News producer who experiences harassment firsthand and must decide whether to speak up.
Roger Ailes
Played by John Lithgow
Powerful Fox News CEO whose decades of sexual harassment are exposed, leading to his resignation.
Jess Carr
Played by Kate McKinnon
Kayla's colleague and romantic interest, a producer who provides support and represents workplace solidarity.
Douglas Brunt
Played by Mark Duplass
Megyn Kelly's husband who supports her through the professional turmoil and harassment revelations.
Beth Ailes
Played by Connie Britton
Roger Ailes' wife who stands by him publicly despite the accusations against him.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Megyn Kelly breaks the fourth wall, introducing herself as Fox News anchor and giving a tour of Fox News headquarters, establishing the glamorous yet cutthroat world of cable news where power and ratings reign supreme.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Gretchen Carlson is fired from Fox News after refusing to fall in line. This catalyzes her decision to take action against Roger Ailes, disrupting the status quo of silence.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 26 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Gretchen Carlson makes the active choice to file a lawsuit against Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, becoming the first to publicly accuse him. This irreversible decision launches the main conflict., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Kayla is summoned to Roger Ailes' office and subjected to a humiliating sexual harassment encounter. This false victory (her promotion) becomes a devastating defeat, representing the dark reality behind Fox's glamorous facade and raising the personal stakes., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 81 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Kayla breaks down and confesses to Jess what happened with Ailes. The "whiff of death" is the death of her innocence, ambition, and the idealized vision of her career. The system has broken her, and she realizes she was complicit in her own harassment., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 88 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Megyn Kelly makes the decision to come forward, internally reporting her own harassment by Ailes to the investigators. This synthesizes her public power with private truth, providing the corroboration needed to bring Ailes down., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Bombshell's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Bombshell against these established plot points, we can identify how Jay Roach utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Bombshell within the drama genre.
Jay Roach's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Jay Roach films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.4, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Bombshell takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jay Roach filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Jay Roach analyses, see Austin Powers in Goldmember, Meet the Parents and Dinner for Schmucks.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Megyn Kelly breaks the fourth wall, introducing herself as Fox News anchor and giving a tour of Fox News headquarters, establishing the glamorous yet cutthroat world of cable news where power and ratings reign supreme.
Theme
Gretchen Carlson is told by her lawyer that coming forward will be difficult: "They're going to come after you." The theme of silence, complicity, and the cost of speaking truth to power is established.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the three main characters: Megyn Kelly preparing for the presidential debate, Gretchen Carlson dealing with her declining status at Fox, and Kayla Pospisil arriving as an ambitious new producer. The hierarchical, misogynistic culture of Fox News under Roger Ailes is established.
Disruption
Gretchen Carlson is fired from Fox News after refusing to fall in line. This catalyzes her decision to take action against Roger Ailes, disrupting the status quo of silence.
Resistance
Gretchen debates with her lawyers about filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes. Meanwhile, Kayla navigates her new role and seeks advancement, and Megyn Kelly deals with Trump's attacks while wrestling with her own past experiences with Ailes.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Gretchen Carlson makes the active choice to file a lawsuit against Roger Ailes for sexual harassment, becoming the first to publicly accuse him. This irreversible decision launches the main conflict.
Mirror World
Kayla meets Jess Carr, a closeted liberal producer at Fox News. Their relationship develops as a thematic counterpoint, representing authenticity and human connection in a world built on performance and deception.
Premise
The promise of the premise: watching powerful men scramble as the lawsuit creates chaos. Kayla gets promoted to work for Bill O'Reilly, the lawsuit forces everyone to choose sides, and the network attempts damage control while women begin quietly sharing their stories.
Midpoint
Kayla is summoned to Roger Ailes' office and subjected to a humiliating sexual harassment encounter. This false victory (her promotion) becomes a devastating defeat, representing the dark reality behind Fox's glamorous facade and raising the personal stakes.
Opposition
The opposition intensifies: Fox News PR machine attacks Gretchen, Kayla is traumatized and isolated, and Megyn Kelly faces pressure from all sides. More women come forward privately, but fear and corporate power structure prevent public solidarity. The weight of silence grows heavier.
Collapse
Kayla breaks down and confesses to Jess what happened with Ailes. The "whiff of death" is the death of her innocence, ambition, and the idealized vision of her career. The system has broken her, and she realizes she was complicit in her own harassment.
Crisis
Dark night of the soul: Kayla processes her trauma, Megyn Kelly wrestles with whether to come forward with her own story, and Gretchen endures public vilification. Each woman sits in the darkness, weighing the cost of silence against the cost of speaking.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Megyn Kelly makes the decision to come forward, internally reporting her own harassment by Ailes to the investigators. This synthesizes her public power with private truth, providing the corroboration needed to bring Ailes down.
Synthesis
The finale: more women come forward, the investigation concludes, Roger Ailes is forced out of Fox News, and the women face the aftermath. The system doesn't fully change, but a crack has formed. Individual acts of courage combine to create institutional consequences.
Transformation
Closing montage shows the women moving forward with their lives and careers, while text reveals the broader impact and limitations of their victory. The transformation is bittersweet: they found their voices and changed history, but the culture of silence remains pervasive.